If you own a cat then you may have a basic understanding of the types of food you should and should not offer.
Yet vets are seeing an increasing number of overweight cats in their surgeries and feline obesity is on the rise.
Owners are either oblivious to the amounts of food they should be offering or are simply choosing to spoil their cat by offering inappropriate foods as treats throughout the day.
Some foods can encourage your cat to become a fussy eater, whilst others can be downright dangerous.
This list highlights a number of food products which you should NEVER feed to your cat.
Alcohol Alcohol on any quantity can cause serious problems for your cat.
In the mildest case it can lead to erratic behaviour and sickness, but given in large volumes will lead to coma and possibly death.
Bones If you are offering your cat fish or meat (chicken for example) you need to take care removing the bones.
Bones can easily choke a cat and they can also lacerate the digestive system.
Chocolate and caffeinated drinks Chocolate and drinks containing caffeine also contain theobromine or theophylline.
These substances can be life threatening to your cat as they are toxic and can bring about heart failure.
Fat trimmings If you are cutting off the fat from your meat don't think it is OK to offer it to the cat.
Just as with humans, excessive amounts of fat lead to weight gain in cats and in the worst case can result in pancreatitis.
Grapes, Raisins and Macadamia Nuts The toxin is unknown, but grapes, raisins and macadamia nuts can damage a cat's kidneys.
Liver Excessive amounts of liver are harmful to a cat because it can bring about vitamin A toxicity.
This has a detrimental effect on both the muscles and bones.
Milk and other dairy Many people believe that a saucer of milk is the most appropriate drink to offer a cat.
However, excessive consumption of milk can lead to diarrhoea in many adult cats because they do not have the ability to break down the lactose.
You can buy specialist cat milk which does not contain lactose and this should be offered as an alternative.
If you are feeding your cat dry cat food you should always offer clean, fresh water.
Mushrooms Certain mushrooms can contain toxins which can be life threatening to a cat.
The cat could quickly go into toxic shock after eating a mushroom.
Onion and Garlic Onions in particular are very harmful to cats.
They contain sulphides and disulphides which can lead to anaemia by damaging the red blood cells.
Whilst garlic contains the same toxins it is less harmful than onion, but still should never be offered.
Fruit and Vegetables including: Potato, rhubarb, tomato leaves, plum and peach pits and tomato skins.
They contain oxalates which can damage the digestive system, nervous system and urinary system.
Raw Egg In addition to the risk of salmonella, raw eggs contain avidin.
Avidin is an enzyme which reduces the absorption of the B vitamin biotin.
The cat may suffer from fur and skim problems.
Raw Fish Uncooked fish should not be offered.
It can lead to a Vitamin B deficiency and in cases where raw fish has been fed regularly the cat has been more prone to seizures and death.
Salt and Sugar Salt and sugar can cause a raft of problems.
Excessive salt can lead to electrolyte imbalances and sugar can bring about weight gain and tooth decay.
Neither is necessary in a cat's diet.
Scraps from your plate Avoid offering your cat leftovers from your plate.
It encourages bad behaviour and it is likely that you are offering inappropriate foods.
You will also be encouraging your cat to become a fussy eater.
Plants Whilst not being a food in the traditional sense of the word, cats love to chew on plants.
If you bring plants into the house you should be aware that some are poisonous to cats.
These are as follows: All lilies, amaryllis, azalea, cactus, caladium, creeping charlie, easter lilly, dieffenbachia, ivy, mistletoe, philodendron, poinsettia.
To ensure your cat lives a happy and healthy life you should avoid all the foods on this list.
Purchase a good quality dry cat food (dry cat food helps to reduce plaque and tartar build up on the teeth) and make sure you do not bring harmful house plants into your home.
Yet vets are seeing an increasing number of overweight cats in their surgeries and feline obesity is on the rise.
Owners are either oblivious to the amounts of food they should be offering or are simply choosing to spoil their cat by offering inappropriate foods as treats throughout the day.
Some foods can encourage your cat to become a fussy eater, whilst others can be downright dangerous.
This list highlights a number of food products which you should NEVER feed to your cat.
Alcohol Alcohol on any quantity can cause serious problems for your cat.
In the mildest case it can lead to erratic behaviour and sickness, but given in large volumes will lead to coma and possibly death.
Bones If you are offering your cat fish or meat (chicken for example) you need to take care removing the bones.
Bones can easily choke a cat and they can also lacerate the digestive system.
Chocolate and caffeinated drinks Chocolate and drinks containing caffeine also contain theobromine or theophylline.
These substances can be life threatening to your cat as they are toxic and can bring about heart failure.
Fat trimmings If you are cutting off the fat from your meat don't think it is OK to offer it to the cat.
Just as with humans, excessive amounts of fat lead to weight gain in cats and in the worst case can result in pancreatitis.
Grapes, Raisins and Macadamia Nuts The toxin is unknown, but grapes, raisins and macadamia nuts can damage a cat's kidneys.
Liver Excessive amounts of liver are harmful to a cat because it can bring about vitamin A toxicity.
This has a detrimental effect on both the muscles and bones.
Milk and other dairy Many people believe that a saucer of milk is the most appropriate drink to offer a cat.
However, excessive consumption of milk can lead to diarrhoea in many adult cats because they do not have the ability to break down the lactose.
You can buy specialist cat milk which does not contain lactose and this should be offered as an alternative.
If you are feeding your cat dry cat food you should always offer clean, fresh water.
Mushrooms Certain mushrooms can contain toxins which can be life threatening to a cat.
The cat could quickly go into toxic shock after eating a mushroom.
Onion and Garlic Onions in particular are very harmful to cats.
They contain sulphides and disulphides which can lead to anaemia by damaging the red blood cells.
Whilst garlic contains the same toxins it is less harmful than onion, but still should never be offered.
Fruit and Vegetables including: Potato, rhubarb, tomato leaves, plum and peach pits and tomato skins.
They contain oxalates which can damage the digestive system, nervous system and urinary system.
Raw Egg In addition to the risk of salmonella, raw eggs contain avidin.
Avidin is an enzyme which reduces the absorption of the B vitamin biotin.
The cat may suffer from fur and skim problems.
Raw Fish Uncooked fish should not be offered.
It can lead to a Vitamin B deficiency and in cases where raw fish has been fed regularly the cat has been more prone to seizures and death.
Salt and Sugar Salt and sugar can cause a raft of problems.
Excessive salt can lead to electrolyte imbalances and sugar can bring about weight gain and tooth decay.
Neither is necessary in a cat's diet.
Scraps from your plate Avoid offering your cat leftovers from your plate.
It encourages bad behaviour and it is likely that you are offering inappropriate foods.
You will also be encouraging your cat to become a fussy eater.
Plants Whilst not being a food in the traditional sense of the word, cats love to chew on plants.
If you bring plants into the house you should be aware that some are poisonous to cats.
These are as follows: All lilies, amaryllis, azalea, cactus, caladium, creeping charlie, easter lilly, dieffenbachia, ivy, mistletoe, philodendron, poinsettia.
To ensure your cat lives a happy and healthy life you should avoid all the foods on this list.
Purchase a good quality dry cat food (dry cat food helps to reduce plaque and tartar build up on the teeth) and make sure you do not bring harmful house plants into your home.